San Diego area student in bus crash details his experience

Chico >> A San Diego-area student had his headphones on just before a semi-trailer struck the charter bus he and 47 others were riding in on Interstate 5 near Orland on Thursday.

Harley Hoyt, a senior at Valhalla High School in El Cajon, said he wasn't paying attention when he heard several people curse.

"I looked up and saw the FedEx truck cross the divide and smack up on us head on," he said, during an interview Friday at Chico Municipal Airport. He and his family were about to board a commercial flight toward home.

Hoyt said the bus shook and smoke flooded the passenger area. He said the front of the bus exploded into flames.

"I thought they were going to blow up fast," he said.

The truck came to rest near the bus' right side, so he opened the emergency exit on the driver's side. He said he had been paying attention to the emergency exit throughout the trip from Southern California to Humboldt State University in Arcata.

The high school senior jumped out of the bus and fell on the ground before crossing to the other side of the interstate. People suffered many injuries and he said some were zoned out or dumbfounded about what happened.

"Everyone was bloody and beat up," he said.

Hoyt praised the work of first responders and the American Red Cross. Like many of the victims, he was taken to the Orland Veterans Memorial Hall. Hoyt was later taken to the Glenn Medical Center in Willows and treated for injuries including biting through his lip and glass in his hands. One of his arms was also bandaged.

Hoyt's family was able to come up to take him home. His father expressed his sympathies to the families of those killed in the crash.

Hoyt said the emotional impact from the crash hasn't yet hit him, but it was an understatement to say he was blessed.

"There's so much gratitude that I made it out alive," he said.

Hoyt didn't initially know the other students on the bus, but one of the chaperones that ultimately died helped everyone to get to know each other. One of the students Hoyt got to know also perished.

"Everyone was becoming a close family on that bus," Hoyt said.

Hoyt supported the ongoing investigation by agencies including the National Transportation Safety Board. He said the bus driver wasn't at fault and believed the FedEx truck caused the crash, although the reason was currently unknown.

Despite the crash, Hoyt is still set on attending Humboldt State. He said university President Rollin Richmond spoke with him and offered another visit to the campus.